- "The soil has suffered greatly over the years. We must tread cautiously in choosing where to sow our seeds. The land is barren, devoid of nourishment. I ponder whether this plateau holds the last vestiges of fertility, where life may yet thrive." -

To start of, we need to explain a few mechanics in Endzone 2. Zones, or the plateaus that you settle on, are predetermined terrain stamps created by us, while the overall map generation is procedural. This means that each seed selected for a new session has a slight chance of containing a certain zone you've encountered before, but its position and even its existence are random.

We classify zones into three types and three sectors, which divide the playable map by the large river in the badlands. New Sectors are only accessible through an Expedition that involves repairing the bridge to cross the river.

There are Small, Medium, and Large zones, and each of them can appear in any sector. However, as the sector number increases, the more exclusive resources the zone can contain, while also being more challenging to navigate.

Screenshot taken from in-game view of the Map with a detached Camera. Only for preview purposes.

Each zone can feature different Ground Types, Forests, Lakes, Mines, Ramps, and Ruins. While we can designate the area where certain parameters will spawn during map generation, we cannot determine their exact shape, distribution, quantity, or which specific Ground Types, Mines or Ruins will appear. However, we do background checks to adjust the ground types, mine placements, and difficulty levels of the zones based on the sector they spawn in. Essentially, this means that a zone you're familiar with may have different conditions in another playthrough.

You always start in Sector I, which does not contain certain Ground Types and Resource Slots such as Iodine for example. So if you happen to encounter a zone in a different playthrough later on in Sector II or III it certainly might have different Ground Types or Resource Slots that were different before, but the zone shape and distribution remains the same.


There are 8 different ground types that influence where buildings can be placed and what resources can be harvested. Here's a breakdown of each ground type and its significance:

• Water:
  Although not a ground type per se, lakes determine where certain buildings can be constructed. Some structures require placement on a lake shore, while others might need proximity to a water source for functionality.
  
  
• Mountain:
  Similar to water, mountains aren't buildable areas but play a role in determining where specific buildings can be situated. Certain structures might require placement on a mountain slope for optimal functionality.
  
  
• Fertile Soil:
  This ground type is crucial for agricultural activities, as it's where crops can be cultivated. Farms require fertile soil to grow crops effectively, so managing the availability of fertile soil within a zone is essential for sustaining food production.
  
  
• Swamp:
  Like fertile soil, the swamp area has its unique set of buildings and resources. For example, the Swamp Farm specializes in cultivating herbs, requiring swamp ground type for optimal growth. Additionally, wells placed in the swamp area can extract water from the ground.
  
  
• Forest:
  Forests provide an environment for trees and berry bushes to grow. While not restricting building placement, forests are essential for woodcutting and gathering resources. Placing buildings like Woodcutters and Gathering Huts near forests maximizes resource extraction efficiency.
  
  Pro Tip: Trees don't naturally regenerate. To ensure a sustainable source of timber, players need to construct a Tree Nursery to facilitate reforestation efforts.
  
• Meadow:
  The default ground type, meadows allow for unrestricted building placement. Players can construct buildings anywhere within meadow areas without any specific limitations.
  
  
• Intermediate Area (Badlands):
  Situated between different zones, the intermediate area, also known as Badlands, contains remnants of past civilizations in the form of ruins. While players cannot construct buildings in the Badlands, they can freely explore the area using vehicles, uncovering secrets hidden within the ruins and gather leftover resources, meet traders and more.
  
  
• Contaminated Area:
  The Contaminated Area ground type introduces a unique and mysterious element to Groundtypes, presenting players with intriguing possibilities for gameplay mechanics and narrative depth. While its exact implementation is still being explored, here are a few potential ideas to consider:
  
  
  • Environmental Hazard: Contaminated areas could pose a significant threat to players' settlements, requiring them to invest resources in cleaning up the contamination to expand their territory or access valuable resources. This could involve constructing specialized buildings or deploying units to mitigate the contamination's effects over time.
    
  • Special Resources: Alternatively, contaminated areas could harbor rare and valuable resources that cannot be found elsewhere on the map. Players may need to develop advanced technologies or employ specialized techniques to extract these resources safely, balancing the risks of contamination with the rewards of accessing unique materials.
    
  • Dynamic Evolution: Contaminated areas could evolve and change over time based on players' actions and decisions, leading to dynamic shifts in gameplay and narrative outcomes. For example, successful efforts to clean up contamination might result in the area becoming habitable and fertile once again, while neglect or mismanagement could lead to further deterioration and new challenges for players to overcome.
  We are open to any suggestions on how this feature could be implemented into the game. So if you feel creative, hop on our Discord Server and let us know what you think.

Apart from the Ground Types, which mainly concern players within a zone, there are also Resource Slots and their corresponding mines. Resource Slots are designated areas where a related building's radius must be placed to generate that resource. Most production buildings have a radius around them, which is important to consider for certain boosting buildings located nearby, connected roads, and other factors. For Resource Slots and Mines, this radius only needs to encompass the cell in which the resource is located. In this example below, we place the Claypit directly on top of the Clay Slot.

There are currently 5 different resources that can be mined. However, there is another type of Mine that we will discuss soon.

• Clay
  
• Copper
  
• Iron
  
• Lead
  
• Iodine

In the case of the Iodine mine, similar to the Claypit, the building needs to be placed close to the resource slot, which, for this type of mine, is located on a mountain slope.


Now, we've nearly wrapped up everything, with just one thing left to mention. Although constructing buildings in the Badlands is not directly possible, there is a unique way to utilize the ruins found there. These ruins can be transformed into what we call "Resource Mines." Initially, these ruins contain a playable expedition. Upon successful completion of the expedition, the ruins are converted into a building that generates the related resource. Players can then visit these mines repeatedly to collect resources, even outside of their settlement, adding a strategic element to exploration and resource management.

Currently there are 2 different Resource Mines in the Badlands: The Claypit and the Scrapyard. Throughout the Early Access we are aiming to implement more ruins that can potentially become a Resource Mine.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2144640/Endzone_2/


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- "Is that another rain cloud, or is a sandstorm rolling towards us? The weather's as unpredictable as ever in these times. It'll be a while before we can figure out what the next days have in store for us. Let's just cross our fingers and hope we make it through that long..." -

The weather in Endzone 2 isn't just a visual backdrop; it significantly impacts your settlement and game strategy. Immersion in natural weather effects is crucial to us, ensuring they feel as impactful as they do in real life. As a survival city-builder, natural disasters must challenge you as the leader of your colony and threaten the supply of essential resources such as water and food.

For the Early Access phase, we will be featuring three primary weather conditions: clear skies, heavy rains, and drought. These conditions can further be subdivided into more nuanced factors. In essence, weather in Endzone 2 is not just a backdrop but a dynamic force that shapes the survival challenges you face and the decisions you make as the leader of your colony. Your ability to effectively manage and adapt to these weather-related challenges will determine the fate of your settlement.



While a clear sky may not be considered a distinct weather condition, it serves as the default state in Endzone 2. Characterized by its absence of significant weather events, a clear sky doesn't inherently provide any positive or negative impacts on your settlement. However, it's the most common weather pattern you'll encounter. Despite its neutrality, a clear sky plays a crucial role in providing a baseline against which to contrast other weather conditions. Its presence sets the stage for the dynamic interplay of weather phenomena, highlighting the contrast between calm and tumultuous environmental states within the game world.


Rain in Endzone 2 can have both positive and negative impacts on your settlement. On the positive side, regular rain significantly boosts crop growth, effectively doubling productivity and ensuring an ample food supply for your settlers. However, rain isn't always benign; toxic rain poses a serious threat. Toxic rain elevates radiation levels in the soil, which can have dire consequences for your settlement. You must ensure that your settlers are equipped with sufficient protective gear. Failure to do so may result in radiation sickness, gradually weakening your settlers and compromising their health.

Tailor and Weaver working on Protective Clothing


Drought, on the other hand, presents its own set of challenges. A drought parches the land, causing crops to wither and lakes to dry up. This scarcity of food and water can quickly escalate into a crisis for your settlement. Your survival hinges on finding alternative sources of sustenance. You may need to seek assistance from neighboring settlements that can provide additional food and water resources. Alternatively, if you're fortunate enough to have swamp soil in your settlement, you can construct a well to access groundwater and mitigate the effects of the drought. However, navigating through a drought requires careful planning and resource management to ensure the survival of your settlement.

Well and Upgraded Well pumping water during a Drought

While rain only affects specific plateaus, a drought is affecting a whole sector! Keep that in mind when stockpiling for the event.


While not a standalone weather condition, sandstorms can occur during droughts in Endzone 2, posing additional challenges to your settlement. These violent storms wreak havoc, damaging buildings and leaving them covered in sand, significantly reducing their efficiency. The aftermath of a sandstorm requires immediate attention and resources to repair and clean affected structures to maintain the functionality of your settlement. Sandstorms, occurring in tandem with droughts, compound the difficulties faced by your colony, underscoring the importance of resilience and preparedness in the face of environmental adversity.

We're planning up to elevate the significance of weather in Endzone 2 by introducing additional mechanics for each condition. These mechanics will enable players to either capitalize on favorable weather or implement crucial counterplay strategies to mitigate the impacts of adverse conditions. While we're unable to delve deeper into the weather mechanic prior to the Early Access phase, we're eagerly seeking feedback from our community.

We welcome any insights regarding potential disasters, strategies to navigate them effectively, or even suggestions for enhancing the visual representation of weather in the game. If you're feeling inspired, we encourage you to join our Discord server by clicking the link down below and utilize our ticket system to provide valuable feedback. We're closely monitoring input from dedicated users for potential inclusion in closed feedback rounds or even further development iterations. Your contributions are integral to shaping the future of Endzone 2, and we greatly appreciate your participation in this collaborative process.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2144640/Endzone_2/


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